


Draw a stick figure

by Seerblade



Series: Snapshots from a Roadtrip [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Homophobic Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:51:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12450015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seerblade/pseuds/Seerblade
Summary: It’s two months after the storm. Max and some of her friends take a road trip the week before Christmas. This is just one moment of time, one snapshot from a roadtrip.





	Draw a stick figure

**Author's Note:**

> This is under construction because I can't seem to plan ahead. The original idea I had was to write about the aftermath of the storm from Max and Chloe's perspective, and this was to one of a few little vignettes involving other characters. However, now I'm working on telling the aftermath from Kate's point of view. I have also learned that I can't plan ahead; I learn about the plot as I write it. That means I need to write enough of the overall story before writing the chapter after this to keep from having to re-write it.
> 
> My apologies. For everyone who has read this, thank you.

Time to move; she’s been sitting here long enough. Victoria shifts in her chair. It’s metal. It fits the decor of the indoor pool, but it’s not comfortable for long, not even through the cotton robe she’s wearing. Kate’s sitting on just a towel. Perhaps she’s ready to get up, too?

Victoria lowers her sunglasses and says, “I’m parched. I’m going to the restaurant. Care to join me?”

“Yes, thank you.” Kate turns from Victoria to the two in the pool. “Max, Chloe, we’re going to get a drink. Would you like to come with?”

“This is your chance to escape, Otter.” Chloe’s voice drips with fake menace.

“We’re good, thanks, Kate.” Max turns to Chloe, “You’re such a dork.”

Chloe splashes water at Max. “You’re the dork, you nerd.”

Victoria stands and offers Kate her elbow as soon as Kate is out of her chair. They exit the pool room and walk down a hallway. Kate is in a black one-piece suit that covers down her legs to the mid-thigh and up to her neckline, where it catches her crucifix. The towel from her room drapes her shoulders like a shawl. Victoria wears a white cotton robe covers most of her red and white swimsuit.

While holding Victoria’s elbow Kate says in an imitation British upper-class accent, “How very proper of you,” and giggles.

“I suppose watching ’Pride and Prejudice’ last night had an effect on me. I’m glad we’re watching a variety of films. Some culture along with the explosions.”

“I’m glad we’re stopping and enjoying ourselves along the way, too. It was cute watching those two. I got that Max was Otter, and Chloe was Shark, but I didn’t see a pattern for ‘dork’ and ‘nerd.’”

“If we leave those two alone long enough they are going to create their own language. We will need a Max-and-Chloe to English dictionary before too long.”

Kate laughs. Victoria grins. They walk down the corridor and into the dining area. The mid-morning sun streams in through the windows. All that’s left of the breakfast crowd is a retirement-age couple chatting at a table by the entrance.

“Here we are. Let’s sit over there by the window. Can I get you anything?” Victoria gestures to a table far from the entrance.

“Just a water. Nothing sparkling, just water. Thanks.” Kate smiles and proceeds to a table by the window.

“Do you think they’ll tell us why we’re headed to what seems to be the middle of nowhere?” Kate asks as Victoria joins her in sitting at the table.

“I think Chloe is almost as much in the dark as the rest of us. We’ll have to get Max to open up. Which means we’ll have to wait.” Victoria sets down her bag and two bottles of water.

Kate hums an affirmative as she looks out the window at the desert scrub brush sparsely occupying the open field.

“Maybe it’s just somewhere other than Arcadia Bay. Somewhere not Blackwell.”

“I think we’re all better off with a change of scenery. I like it out here. There’s more variety to the flowers than you’d think, given how dry it is,” says Kate as she continues to examine the view out the window.

“I find there’s beauty in how well some of these plants have survived and thrived despite the harsh conditions.” Victoria follows Kate’s gaze out to the landscape. “Speaking of beauty, how is it that Chloe throws on gym shorts and a sports bra and now she looks like she belongs on Project Runway?”

Kate turns to face Victoria and says, “I’m sure she’d be happy to hear you say that.”

“I don’t know about that. She’s never been all that interested in what I had to say, and she’s not looking for compliments from anyone except Max. There’s another mystery. Max usually looks so timid and cautious, but get her in a bikini and suddenly she’s all poise and confidence.”

“Maybe she just feels at ease around friends. It was just us in the pool. She’d appreciate you telling her that, though.” Kate smiles and lifts her head. Try to deny that, Victoria.

“Friends,” says Victoria. Have they all become friends? Does Max trust them all? Not that trust is an issue between Max and either Chloe or Kate. Chloe and Max go way back, and most people would be better off trusting Kate, even if they didn’t know her than they would be in trusting any but their most dear friends. Trusting Victoria, though. Has she earned her trust yet?

Kate looks over at a now quiet Victoria, who is looking out the window. With those sunglasses on who knows what she’s looking at. Sunglasses, robe, red two-piece with white polka dots, each element like it’s from a fashion magazine and everything well coordinated with everything else. That’s so like Victoria. Except for that. The handbag. It’s small, only big enough for glasses and a small wallet, covered by an abstract design of black, silver, and blue rectangles on a field of white. No, not quite abstract. Some rectangles are cut in, symmetrically. A design from something to do with popular culture, no doubt. Still, it goes with literally nothing. Not that Kate is all that into fashion, but Victoria is, and if even someone like Kate notices, it must be odd.

Kate interrupts Victoria’s contemplation of all the ways Kate is trustworthy by asking, “If you don’t mind, is there a story behind your bag?”

Victoria startles, glares at the source of the disruption. Trying, trying to relax around everyone, especially Kate. Especially Kate. The smile comes up. “Ah, my little Artoo. I found this at a, well, what you might call a hobby store. Not where I normally shop for accessories, I know, but I just had to have it. It’s practical, too. Can’t find anything more watertight. I’ve tried. Brooke loved it, but then she’s all Star Wars all the time. Hmm, I should get her one next time I’m shopping, well, not that I shop there all that often. Courtney teases me about it every time she sees it. Thanks, Courtney, this bag doesn’t really match? You really should be a columnist for Elle, you know. Show everyone just how good you are at this. Whatever.”

Victoria’s eyes follow a young man entering the dining area. He’s young, college age. He can’t keep his mouth from gaping as he stares at two young women dressed for the poolside.

“We really should get some shots here. I don’t think a wide-angle landscape shot would really capture the feeling of being here, but some close-ups of the flora could yield some real gems,” says Victoria as she sweeps her eyes around the room, settling on her drink.

“It would be a shame not to get pictures while we’re here.” Kate looks out the window. “I’m sure Max will want some pictures, too. Think she’ll want to photograph a prairie-dog? Oh, do they have prairie-dogs here?”

“Who knows?” Victoria considers her options. The man hasn’t looked away yet. His mouth is still slightly open, something like a smile, or perhaps a grimace. “What do you think of joining the others? You can bring your water.”

“Oh, sure, we can do that.” Kate picks up her bottle of water.

The man ducks out of the room. At least they won’t have to walk by him, but of course, he heads towards the pool. Maybe he’ll be smart. Better be prepared in case he isn’t. The bag goes over the right shoulder, left elbow out for Kate. Together they walk out of the room and down the hallway. The young man steps out of the laundry room as they approach, standing in the middle of the hallway before them.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to let us by?” Victoria’s voice is painfully polite. Kate’s heard that tone before, but never this much stress in Victoria’s voice. Kate folds her arms over her chest as she looks at the floor.

“Maybe I like standing right here,” he says.

“Maybe I don’t like looking at what I assume is the face you make when you’re looking at porn.” Victoria’s hand is in her bag, holding the cylinder of mace. She twists it, releasing the safety. If he lunges—

“Why don’t you find a patch of dirt outside, draw a stick figure with boobs, and jack off to it?”

The words rush forth as a torrent. All three are surprised, Kate most of all. Did she really say that?

The man sucks air in through his still open mouth. He looks around, then moves around Victoria, giving her as wide a berth as he can. He bounces off the wall and bobbles for a few steps before recovering his balance and making his way to the elevators. “Fuckin’ dykes,” he hisses as he waits for the elevator.

“That’s Ms. Dyke, Ma’am, to you, asshole.” Each word enunciated oh so clearly, venom dripping from each one. Victoria’s voice shakes on the last word.

At the ding he steps into the elevator.

“I swear to God.” Victoria sets the safety and puts the mace back in the handbag. “I probably shouldn’t blaspheme so much around you.”

“I’m used to it,” says Kate, with a smirk.

“Do you want to go back to the room?”

“I don’t see why.” Kate holds an elbow out for Victoria. “Let's go back to the pool. The really funny thing is that it’s cold as hell outside. Oops.”


End file.
